Samsung enters portable laptop market

October 2009
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Thursday, October 1st, 2009 @ 5:08 pm | Misc

Samsung does things in style. And that holds true for its new portable laptop NC10 too. If the exterior matte and chrome finish is not something seen till date, the inside too boasts of hardware that’s par for the course for any portable laptop in its class. The NC10 has an Intel’s Atom processor with either 80GB or 160GB hard drive. Along with it comes WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, built-in 1.3 Megapixel webcam and a 10.2 inch 1024×600 LED backlit display. The machine runs on Windows XP Home OS. In a nutshell, the NC10 is going to snap at the heels of Asus Eee 1000H with its chic looks and comparable mobility as well as same configuration hardware. Priced at a very competitive 400 euro, this one looks like a show stealer.

When it comes to standard ports, the Samsung NC10 has the same portable laptop ports as in the ones in its category. There are three USB 2.0 and a VGA, audio ports which account for both a headphone and a microphone. There is also a LAN connection which adds to these ports. And finally, the compact portable laptop comes with a custom SD cardreader at the front. However, the positioning of the single ports is a bit of a bother. Both the USB ports on the left are placed practically at the front and the third port is on the right. Now this may lead to cables and plugs getting tangled on the side when the machine is placed on a desk and is wired.

One of the best advantages of the machine is simple navigation menu. A simple tap on the FN+F4 keys and the menu springs open. The clear instructions are a good enough guidance for any user and even connecting an external monitor to the portable laptop is a cakewalk. The integrated GMA 950 graphic solution has the capacity to support display that has a maximum resolution of 1248×1536 pixels.

It is to be noted that the external display should come in for special remark when it comes to stability. The display hinges, although enclosed in fake metal plastic covers, look robust enough and holds up well to any compression pressures. But that does not hinder the maneuverability of the display in any way.

As for the main memory, the NC10 has more or less the usual configuration of one gigabyte DDR2 RAM. This is probably one area where Samsung could have improved a bit and did not provide the maximal upgrade possible for the RAM. Whereas a limited 1024MB has been referred to in the specs but a 2GB memory stick is also sold as an option. And it makes sense to use the 2 gigabyte memory module with the portable laptop which brings out a noticeable improvement in performance, needless to say that this depends on the task in hand.